To date very little research work has been conducted to study the use of
dried shrimp meal in broiler diets. Ewing (1963) in reviewing the work of Polk
and Barnett indicated that, "in rations with single sources of protein which
included cottonseed meal, sun-dried shrimp meal, soybean meal and meat scrap,
machine dried shrimp meal was the most satisfactory single high-protein source
in rations containing about 21% protein. Because of the high salt content,
sun-dried shrimp meal was not as efficient as machine-dried shrimp meal."

This experiment was designed to investigate the replacement of various
levels of soybean meal with shrimp meal in broiler diets.

EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE

This experiment was conducted using day-old broiler type chicks obtained
from a commercial hatchery. The chicks were debeaked at one day of age. All
birds were brooded in electrically heated battery brooders with raised wire floors.
Feed and water were supplied ad libitum. The chicks were randomly assigned to
eight pens, each containing 13 female birds. Two pens received each of the four
treatments.

Composition of the basal diet is shown in Table 1. The three additional
experimental diets (Table 1) contained 3.1, 6.1 and 9.1% of shrimp meal replacing
equal amounts of protein from soybean meal. Animal fat was added to the diets
in order to maintain equal energy levels. All diets contained approximately 22%
protein and 962 Calories of productive energy per pound.

The test was conducted for four weeks starting when the chicks were
housed at 1 day of age. Body weights were calculated at the end of the test.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

No significant difference in body weights resulted from the addition of
3.1% or 9.1% shrimp meal to replace soybean meal in a broiler diet. The body
Weights resulting from the addition of 6.1% shrimp meal were significantly
different from the chicks fed 9.1% level of shrimp meal but not from those fed
the basal diet or the diet containing 3.1% shrimp meal. The lowered weights of
the chicks on the 6.1% level of shrimp meal could not be explained, since good
results were obtained from both higher and lower levels of substitution. The use
of a small sample population was felt to be a possible cause of the weight
variation and not necessarily due to the use of this level of the product.

1. Damron, Research Assistant; Waldroup, Research Associate; Harms, Poultry
Nutritionist and Head of the Poultry Science Department, University of Florida.

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SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS

It appears from these results that shrimp meal is a satisfactory source
of protein for chicks. These results would indicate that levels up to 9.1%
shrimp meal may be used to replace an equivalent amount of protein from soybean
meal.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The authors acknowledge the assistance of Mr. T. J. Haynes for supplying
the shrimp meal used in this test.